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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
10-digit dialing change on track
Few problems so far, MTS says
A day after Manitobans' dialing fingers were put to the test with 10-digit phone numbers, MTS said the transition, so far, has gone smoothly.
"We have not received a lot of calls into our customer-care centre about the changeover," said Selena Hinds, spokeswoman for MTS Allstream.
Callers are still able to dial a seven-digit number and have the call completed, but on Sunday, they began to hear an automated message explaining the change and instructions on how to successfully complete a 10-digit dial, adding the 204 area code.
Concerns that the recorded message could trip up automatic calls for alarms and fires were also put to rest, companies said.
AAA Alarms, owned by MTS Allstream, has been upgrading alarms in anticipation of the new dialing over the last year and 99.9 per cent of alarms have been updated, Hinds said.
Tom Oakley, president of Oakley Alarms, said they've been updating their automatic alarm systems with the 204 addition for years in anticipation of the switchover.
"We were very prepared for this many years ago," he said.
He anticipates a few calls trickling in over the next week for the few who haven't updated their alarm system, but said this might be at most four or five people.
"There's more panic with the public than what they need to be worried about," he said, citing 30 to 40 calls Monday from people concerned with their alarm systems.
Besides automatic alarms and pesky reminder messages about dialing 10 digits, other companies printing business cards and stationary with phone numbers are expecting calls from those wanting to update their contact information. However, they said the flood of inquiries hasn't happened yet.
"We'll probably get people calling in at the end of August, beginning of September when people realize they have to change. Right now people are in vacation mode," said Clark Norman, owner of Kwik Kopy Design and Print Centre, who said he prints many business cards without the 204 area code.
So far, the 10-digit dialing reminder message has been turned on in Dauphin, Brandon, Selkirk and Thompson, and on all wireless devices in the province, Hinds said. It will be activated on all Winnipeg land lines by the end of today.
The change is part of a permissive dialing period before Oct. 20, when the 10-digit system takes over in Manitoba for good.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 31, 2012 A6
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